Mamata Banerjee Trying for New Front Without Congress; Met  Akhilesh Yadav, To Meet Naveen

New Delhi: Mamata Banerjee is trying to build up a new political front without Congress to counter the BJP in the 2024 polls. This attempt comes at a time when the BJP is trying to portray Congress MP Rahul Gandhi as a key leader of opposition unity.

This was hinted when Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Friday. She will meet Odisha CM and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik on March 23 regarding her plans. Akhilesh Yadav has confirmed they want to maintain equidistance from both Congress and the BJP.

Some opposition parties including the TMC suspect that the BJP is targeting them by using Rahul Gandhi.

“Rahul Gandhi made comments abroad and BJP will not let parliament function till he apologises. This means they don’t want parliament to function by using Congress. The BJP wants Rahul Gandhi to be the face (of the opposition) so that it helps the BJP. There is no need to decide on a prime ministerial face (for the 2024 election),” Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay told NDTV.

“Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will meet Naveen Patnaik on March 23. We will discuss this (plan to maintain equidistance from BJP and Congress) with other opposition parties. We are not saying it is a third front, but regional parties have the strength to take on the BJP,” Bandyopadhyay said.

Bandyopadhyay said it’s a fallacy to think that Congress is the “big boss” of the opposition.

“In Bengal, we are with Mamata Didi. Right now, our stand is we want to maintain equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress,” Akhilesh Yadav told reporters in Kolkata.